I Darken
by SirensSingg
Summary: Recently re-awoken from years of captivity, Sora fights with self-control and mental instability. Why did the scientists take her? and what the hell is a Pure-Blood?
1. Chapter 1: Sora

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight just my OC's and plot differences.**

Chapter 1: Sora

How is it possible to see the light when all you had known was darkness for so long? How do you do even the most simple of things, like tell time? Know what day it is – what had it been?

Hours?

Days?

 _Years?_

 _How long had she been here in this hell?_ She wasn't even able to remember her own name. _T_ _hey_ hadn't called her anything but 'Abomination.'

' _Long.'_ _What_ is _long?_

The measure or length of an object. The unbearably drawn out amount of time from one point to another.

Whatever. It didn't matter. Only one thing ever really mattered to her.

Blood.

That's all that was left to her, really. That, and the excruciating _pain_ of what the men in white called 'blood-lust'. Since it supposedly made her stronger – too strong – they made sure to give her the bare minimum. Just enough to keep her alive and able to regenerate.

It was hard to remember anything from before the men in white took her. Memories were like fog over a marsh. And not even a fun marsh, more so one with lots of dead bodies—how could she remember what a marsh was?

 _Focus._

Her _existence_ _dwindled down to nothing more than three things: Metal, blood and darkness._

What did blood even taste like? She could hardly remember. It had been an eternity since she'd last fed. There were things she _could_ remember though. Like Metal tables and scalpels.

Yes. When it came to those, she was an expert. That was where _they_ had their fun by tearing her apart and leaving her barely hanging on and only giving her enough time in-between to heal some, then back to work.

Not even the cold of the table could numb the pain.

Then there was the darkness. The only thing that could be dubbed as some sort of twisted salvation. It was the only thing she had to look forward to. When the tests were done and her screams came out as nothing more than broken whimpers – A lot like her body – they injected her with an amber colored liquid. Of course that was just to shut her up, but it was when the amber liquid came that she'd calm down.

Only then did everything disappear.

It was a long while later that she came to realize she wasn't alone.

Not physically, of course. That would give her a way to feed and become stronger. No. The place she wasn't alone was in her mind. Deep down, somewhere inside of her forever regenerating body, was a monster.

It whispered sweet nothings of control and endless amounts of blood. When she ignored it, the voice of the monster would scream at her and call her various names. It would tell her that she was _nothing._

There wasn't any escaping it. It had a firm grip over her mind. But _never_ her body or soul. She'd never give that up. Not until her mind broke. She found herself giggling at that thought as the men in white strapped her down to another table.

That was her one saving grace – knowing she still had enough strength to fight back. Bad things tended to happen when the Monster took over. She felt nothing when it did. All of her emotions would just shut down as it cradled her in its cold, yet comforting, embrace.

Much more comforting than metal tables. It looked like they were going to pluck out her eyes today. Her laughing became manic.

She wouldn't break, though.

Every time she became too weak and the Monster got out, it was always the same thing. She'd wake up from whatever damage she did, and cry and cry and cry and-

No. It was not meant to be let out… But it was always there.

Laughing.

 _Waiting_.

Crude, dingy, stone floors layered with soiled hay scratched at her bare legs as she crawled over to her 'bed'. In reality it was just a sack of hay, but it was enough for her to sleep on.

She found that sleep came either way, no matter how hard she fought.

All she had to look forward to were dreams. Most were just terrifying nightmares. Beasts with wide gaping mouths that held rows and rows and rows of needle-like teeth. It used those teeth to chew on the bones of its victims; until they turned into nothing more than dust.

After, the beasts would use the dust and its sticky saliva to craft beautiful masks. The masks helped to fool those around them.

Those stupid enough to believe in their pretty lies would become yet another mask.

She was beginning to believe the in the beasts ways more and more with each passing moment. It was terrifying. Was she like them? An ugly mound of flesh with razor teeth and blank eyes? Or was she just one of their masks?

Her dirty hair fell in clumps down to her knees, so caked in filth it was a wonder what color it originally was. Any skin she could see under dirt was so pale- she laughed.

 _Pale as bones._

Dreams of laughter. Her screams to the ceiling of her cell echoed.

Those were to be hated most. Dreams like that were nothing more than another mask: a beast – so beautiful that there was no way they could be true.

She was afraid.

Lately it felt as if something was changing in her. She couldn't pin-point exactly what it was, but it felt... _powerful_.

The monster was raking its claws into her brain. It was only a matter of time before it clawed its way to the center.

Her eyesight flashed red and her throat felt like as if it was on fire. A raging inferno that vacuum sealed her soul and spat it out.

 _No. No, no, no, no. Not again_.

 _ **Give in...**_

A whimper left her lips as the nails on her hands extended into sharp spikes. She clawed at her neck in a vain attempt to ease the pain. She knew it wouldn't help. Instead screams took over the silence that once filled her cell.

The strong metal walls seemed to close in around her. It was suffocating.

After screaming for what seemed like forever, the reinforced metal door to the cell creaked open, letting in a blinding amount of light.

She hissed like a rabid animal, scurrying into the darkness in the corner of the room.

3 men dressed in white walked in her cell.

The tall man on the left spoke first, "Jay I think we need to put our little blood-sucker back to sleep, she's going to end up killing herself if she doesn't stop scratching at her neck like that."

 _ **Kill them first.**_

The man in the middle, Jay, spoke next in a teasing voice. "Awh come on now, I think she would be doing us and the world a favor. Isn't that right? _Abomination_ _."_ The way he spit out the word made her skin crawl worse than the bugs that did so while she slept.

Jay pulled out a syringe with amber liquid inside. It was pretty obvious what his intentions were, and he'd never been gentle.

 _ **This is enough. Give in!**_

 _Her skull felt as if it was about to burst open and coat the small room in her brain matter. She_ screamed louder as he came forward with the sharp needle. Her breathing was out of control, coming out in huffs of steam.

Everything began slowing down.

 _ **Yes. Take a deep breath. That's it...**_

The next time she inhaled, she smelt it. Felt it. It was pulsing around the room, a sweet yet spicy smell, and... It was coming from the men in white.

 _ **Now let me out… Let the hatred you feel come forward. Give me control.**_

She let go, too tired to hold on. Too tired. Once again, she gave the monster what it wanted.

She was an observer to her own body, taking the back seat – yet aware of everything. No feelings existed in the back seat.

As the monster took over, so did its monstrous instinct. Or maybe it was _her_ instinct?

With inhuman speed, she was in front of Jay, looking up into his eyes. It made her smile to see his fear, but the grin was gone in an instant. Replaced with rage.

Lashing an arm out, the tall man on the left went flying back into a wall. She grabbed the shocked man on the right by the neck, and it snapped it with ease in her small hands. The sound reverberated through her own bones and she shook in pleasure.

The syringe Jay once held was tossed somewhere behind her carelessly. When it shattered, the man flinched, and his small beady eyes widened in horror.

Even standing up as tall as she could possibly manage, they were still taller than her. But she was much stronger, and now they knew it.

Inhaling the air around him deeply, a wide smile found its way back on her face. It was strange, really. She could feel his fear surround her. It made her adrenalin pump faster and her throat burn with need.

 _Blood. Feed._

That's what the smell was. The words were the only thing running through her mind, over and over again on repeat.

 _Blood. Feed. Blood. Feed. Blood. Feed-_

 _ **Feed on his blood.**_

She grabbed the front of his lab coat and pulled him down to meet her height. Leaning in towards his neck and grabbing into his hair, she pulling his head harshly to expose thin sweaty skin. She Licked over his heightened pulse and felt him tense up. It was salty.

Without warning, she bit down and Jay let out a moan. She started gulping down his blood, not caring that it got all over her face, the floor and her body. Must have hit the artery. It didn't matter. She was dirty anyway.

The eternal burning that was in her throat cooled down some, but it wasn't enough.

The monster inside of her still wanted to consume **more** , to take the lives of the people who took _theirs_ away.

When Jay fell slack – dead she assumed numbly – her attention was pulled to the hypnotic sound of another beating heart. Turning slowly towards the sound, she regarded one of the other man she threw into the wall. He was knocked unconscious from the force of hitting his head, but still alive.

She walked to him slowly, got on top of his limp body and went straight for his neck. Not even feeling the slightest bit of remorse, she began ripping his flesh from his muscles all the way to the bone; painting the walls of the cell, that had once tried to hold her, red with blood.

As soon as she was finished, she stood up again—noting numbly she had torn his head from his shoulders—and made her way through the still open door. The florescent lights didn't bother her eyes like before. Then again, nothing felt as it did before; all she could feel was the power coursing through her veins. It was such a rush that she stumbled slightly, giggling like a mad-woman.

When she stepped over the threshold of the door and into a white hallway, she felt it again – but this time there were more _._ All of the heartbeats pounded loudly in her ears, just waiting to be consumed.

When she spoke, it wasn't that of her own. While hers was described as wind chimes on a breezy day – this voice was the opposite. It was loud in the empty hallway and hoarse, speaking in many voices that sucked you in and took hold of your soul. It demanded to be heard, to be _obeyed_.

It was the monsters voice.

" _ **Come to me so I can cleanse your filthy souls. Come, and let your master consume you.**_ "

There was a short pause before doors in the hallway slowly began to open, and more white coats walked out. Their faces held excitement that didn't reach their unseeing eyes.

None realized they were being lead to their deaths. Or maybe they did realize, but like her, didn't care.

Seeing this made her giggle harder. She twirled around in circles, joyfully. Was this what the men in white considered blood-lust? Was this how they felt while they plucked her apart?

No matter. It was taking over her body, just like the monster.

She stopped and a sadistic smile spread over her bloodied lips. Her long fangs were on show for them to see, but instead of their eyes widening in fear, they held only eagerness.

Extending her bone-white hand, she spoke in an airy voice, " _ **Who would like to go first?**_ "

Then, there was darkness.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Shou walked up to a bland steel door. It didn't look like much, but apparently it lead to some underground research center, where the people there had been running some illegal tests.

The vibes he was getting from it were less than inviting.

 _Why do I always get put on the creepy missions?_ He thought to himself as he opened up the door. _Nothing good ever comes from places like these._

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Shou had to take a slight step back. The smell of blood and death hit him like a brick wall. _Fuck._

Forcefully swallowing down the lump in his throat, he walked into the building, past an empty receptionist's desk, and followed to where the smell of death was the strongest. He wasn't afraid. He was never afraid… Yeah.

 _While trying to convince himself further, Shou couldn't help but notice something... Strange. Like how there was no one in sight._

 _Now, he wasn't an expert by no means, but normally weren't there people walking around places like this?_ _Shou had been expecting a little more resistance than what he was getting. A little more of a fight._

It was rumored that the scientist's here were doing research on any type of vampy related things they could get their hands on. That included every type of vampire (level E included, sadly) and even hunters. How they managed feats like that, he would never know. Just snatch and grab, he guessed.

Lately, though, there were human abductions. So if all they had to do was collect humans that could only mean one thing.

They either had a contract with a Pureblood (unlikely) or they somehow imprisoned one. It was a lead he would follow regardless. If it had to do with a Pureblood, he was there.

After walking for what felt like forever, Shou found himself at a double door. He mentally prepared himself, noting a strong presence somewhere behind the door. It was distinctly a vampire.

"Blood-lust filled vampires are so troublesome." He thought out loud to himself.

The wide double doors opened, and he stood there for a second, taken aback for the second time at the sight.

Blood. It was _everywhere._

Limbs torn from bodies and gore thrown around like some sort of morbid painting. The once white walls were now stained with splatters of dark, red fluid. Brain matter, organs and bone fragments slowly fell down walls in certain areas.

After a few beats Shou came out of his shock and put his hand through his unmanageable black hair, and whistled, kicking a nearby arm. "This is not going to make Kaname happy. Not one bit. Hate to be the sucker to clean _this_ mess up."

As soon as he was done speaking, he felt it again. But this time it was easier to distinguish. A presence this strong could only mean one thing: Pureblood.

And a strong one at that. Hmm. They had managed to acquire one after all.

Taking another look around, he searched for who had caused all of this mess, not really prepared for what he saw.

A young woman, probably no older than him—on top of a small pile of bodies— _naked._

Extremely dirty and bloody, but still in nothing more than her birthday suit. _Seriously, who kills an entire research center_ _naked?_

"Crazy people." Shou answered himself out loud, nodding his head. The suddenness of his voice momentarily frightening himself. This creepy ass place was getting to him.

Deciding to finally take a closer look so he could take the crazy Pureblood away, he made his way through the throngs of scattered bodies. He grimaced every time he stepped on something squishy. _Find your happy place, find your happy place._

Three spines later and a few mushy bits later, Shou could see that the girl was indeed passed out. A small smile rested on her full, bloodied lips, while her body was curled into a ball—The sight reminded him of a cat.

Bending down he extended a large, pale hand towards her face. He shuddered when his hand made contact with her cheek and ran through her blood and grime caked hair.

A wave of familiarity washed over him.

The girl made a small noise as if feeling his presence, and revealed emerald green eyes. Eyes that held a shocking similarity to his.

Shou's hand began shaking. He was in a state of shock and could not find it in himself to move as she began lifting herself up and made her way towards his neck.

Before she could bite down the male whispered one word. It stopped her from what she was doing, and instead she looked up at him with a cross between confusion and recognition.

Her green orbs rolled back, signaling her loss of consciousness. She was out like a light.

Shou let out a breath of air he didn't know he was holding. The word he spoke echoed around the room, and his skull.

" _Sora?_ "


	2. Chapter 2: Sad Eyes

**Chapter 2: A School Full of Sheep**

Everything was black ( _darkdarkdark)._

There was nothing, just an endless emptiness.

The sort of darkness that makes a person see things that weren't there. Like shadows – as odd as it was – dancing around.

Tendrils rolling around and in on itself, slithering like a pit of venomous snakes.

Then, like some sort of magic, two red eyes shone through the nothingness. They were glorious. Beautiful. The type of eyes that you could jump into and drown in – dangerous.

They were suspended in mid air; two faintly glowing perfect rubies. How could something be so seductive and captivating?

The pit of shadow snakes moved faster as if agitated. Or afraid. What they were feeling was impossible to tell. Yet, something was off.

Those glowing eyes seemed to be _too_ beautiful. _Too_ red- _toomuchtoomuchtoomuch._

What was the word? What word could possibly describe what couldn't be there?..That was it.

Blank.

The eyes that were so transfixing were emotionless and- _emptyemptyemptyempty_.

They came forward.

So close it was almost blinding.

Then, a mouth came into view, along with a nose and features. A face? The mouth stretched into a wide.. smile. It was mocking and nowhere near friendly or truthful. They were the eyes of a liar.

" _Being beautiful doesn't instantly mean a person is truthful or friendly."_

The wide ruby eyes even seemed to turn mocking- _EMPTYEMPTYEMPTY._

Soon the mouth cracked open a long forked tongue shot out and slid across sharp glistening fangs – yes, even in the darkness they seemed to glisten.

There was a lengthy pause where the eyes stared blankly ahead. But right before the monster struck out, a emotion flashed through them.

Sadness.

" _Sadness is so easily masked by beauty-"_

It consumed everything.

.

.

.

The crash back into reality wasn't pleasant.

Clear emerald eyes cracked open slowly – caked with crusty eye goop – and was met with light so bright, it was blinding.

 _Better to have them closed_.

A croaking groan of protest (and confusion) came deep from within the girls dry throat. She tried lifting her hands in order to rub away the crud in her eyes but was met with resistance. Familiar ice settled into her veins.

Even with the threat of a life in eternal darkness and using a walking stick or dog to guide her; her eyes fluttered a second time and opened. Her mind was swimming with questions and possible answers.

Had they already put her back on the table? What were they going to do this time? Skin her again? That wasn't pleasant the first few times-

No.

Brushing off her fear the girl took a look around. She was in what looked like a normal room – not 'normal' as in her cell, but _normal_. Like little house on the prairie normal.

Had they sold her? Decide to get her pregnant (there were constant whispers about the effects of pregnancy) and see what it did to her body?

Holy shit, she'd rather be skinned a hundred times over. Babies made too much noise and drooled on everything. She wasn't in any way fit to be a mother-

Wait a second.

When was the last time her head felt so… clear? Her body… she could feel _everything._ The soft bed under her back, the not-so-tight metal cuffs around her wrists, the warm sun caressing her exposed legs, the strong presence that took up most of the room…

Panic pumped through her again, and it momentarily overwhelmed her.

When was the last time she felt something as simple as panic? Bracing for the worse, she looked to where the presence was the strongest – her left.

Now, she was expecting a lot of things. Most being scary monsters or smelly men dressed in white with contradicting yellow smiles that held sharp objects. Stuff like that. Normal stuff.

So when she came face to face with an attractive guy, as stupid as it sounded, it calmed her a bit. She had never seen someone so… beautiful.

His sad wine colored eyes meet hers in what she could only compare as an old friend who had been away too long. But what were friends?

Shoulder length brown hair fell in smooth waves, framing a perfectly proportioned pale face. It reminded her of molten chocolate. He almost felt _familiar_ in a way. Like her body was aching to hug him yet her mind wanted him gone. Thoughts like that were thrown away quickly. She didn't know this guy.

She didn't even know herself.

After a few minutes of openly gaping at said brunette _God –_ and him analyzing her like some sort of lab rat – he spoke. "I am sorry for having to restrain you like this, but we didn't know what state of mind you would be in once you awoke. My name is Kaname Kuran," he paused there for a moment, "do you remember your name by any chance?" His light velvet voice fluttered through her ears.

He was perfectly calm.

Blinking a couple of times the girl just kept staring at him. Nope, still blank. She slowly shook her head no and watched as a fleeting look of disappointment passed over Kaname's face, before it quickly disappeared.

He let out a tired sigh and went to fetch something from his pocket.

Not knowing what to feel, the girl reacted in the only way she knew; Fear. She began trembling, shaking her head back and forth. She was just waiting for a syringe filled with amber liquid to be pulled out and send her back to her previous state of fog.

Instead of a syringe Kaname pulled out a small key. He was quick to unlock the restraints that kept her immobile.

Immediately she sat up and scooted to the corner of the bed furthest away from him, rubbing at her now raw wrists. During all the movement her small legs were exposed for all to see, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. It was just skin.

The girls gaze never left the strangers face, even as he moved back to the chair. His movements were slow and deliberate as he kept his hands in front of him. Was he trying to pacify her into thinking he wouldn't hurt her?

She wasn't fooled.

At one point during the odd exchange (that seemed to drag on forever) a ghost of a smile graced his thin lips.

So now he was _entertained_ by her actions? Who the fuck did this guy think he was? This Kaname guy should be afraid of her, not the other way around!

She… She was- ... _something_ , dangerous!

"I'm not afraid of you." The girl blurted out. Her voice was light and scratchy. Heat spread across her cheeks like running water at the false statement. _Fake it 'till you make it._

His head cocked to the side, as if regarding her a second time. It made her extremely uncomfortable.

"Your name is Sora." he spoke.

The sound of that one word sent pleasant shivers up her spine. There was a rightness about it that lead her to believe that her name _was_ in fact Sora. She couldn't help but relax again and shift slightly closer to him. Her fear was easily replaced by burning curiosity and the many questions flowing through her wary mind.

If he knew her name, did that mean he _knew_ _her_?

Though she wouldn't admit it aloud; her head, while clear, was still very much scrambled. A bunch of random thoughts and pictures were scattered around her in an annoyingly disorienting way. It was as if they needing to be filed and placed in the correct area of her brain, but she couldn't focus enough to do so.

 _Something about this guy bothered her, though. It was nothing obvious like he was giving her creepy smiles or coming on to her—for some reason she thought he would find that beneath him—there was just a nagging going on in the back of her mind that told—no,_ _screamed_ _, at her to not let her guard down around this man._

 _It took a while for her to figure it out, but when she did she wanted to snap her fingers in triumph._

 _It was his eyes._

Something about them seemed so sad. Just like the eyes in the dream, but not red. She couldn't help but feel a strange sort of kinsman-ship for this Kaname guy. He looked _as if he lost something that was important to him_. It was hard to not understand that feeling.

Sure, even though the girl didn't really remember losing anyone, her chest felt empty.

Hollow.

As if something was missing… Something _important_ , and not just about herself. Strange wasn't it? She was sure there were organs of some sort in there—she had seen them on more than one occasion—there was no need to feel so incomplete.

Maybe it was because she only had a name and nothing else? That thought alone made her want to disappear back into herself. What was the point of living when one had nothing to live for?

A quick staged cough brought her back to the man in front of her.

As soon as her attention was back to him, he spoke again, "You are a vampire of high status, much like myself. Right now you are at Cross Academy; The first school where humans and vampires coexist peacefully. At the moment, you are in one of the guest rooms of Headmaster Cross' house. Please try not to break anything."

Had she asked for all of that information? Nope. She didn't even understand half of the words he used. What was a Headmaster? He might as well had spoken to the wall. Either way the words were valuable to her. Well, all except the 'Try not to break anything' business

 _There isn't anything in here to break_. Just the bed under her, a bedside table, dresser and the random chair Kaname was currently residing in. The walls – a plain creme color – looked to be recently painted, and the worn fabric curtains didn't seem important to her.

It was quite an ugly room, actually.

While he continued babbling on, Sora looked down at herself for what felt like the first time. Well it kind of was considering she had _just_ woken up.

A snug fitting white silk and lace night gown that – woah it actually matched her long-as-fuck hair – clung down to her mid-thigh. It pressed against her skin comfortably but was rather snug in... Well _everywhere._ The fabric was so tight, in fact, that it made her breasts and curves _very_ noticeable.

Her face became warm with a blush once again; it was slightly see-through. She thanked every living animal in the earth kingdom that Kaname didn't seem to notice. Or maybe he _did_ and that was why his eyes never traveled away from her own?

Then a thought struck her: _Who the hell dressed me?_

"Someone else. A female, if that puts your mind at ease."

She hadn't even realized she had said her thoughts out loud. Looking back up to Kaname, she tilted her head in an inquiring manner. Much like a bird.

When she spoke it was barely a whisper. She could feel elongated teeth brushing against her lips as she talked, "You're a little creepy, Mr. Kaname."

Said man looked at a loss for words. His eyes held confusion- _sadsadsad_ \- as they followed Sora. The small woman (was she a woman? Or was she considered a girl? She _was_ rather low to the ground,) stood up on shaky legs with aid from the bed.

Slowly and carefully she made her way across the room to the window.

To put it simply, Sora wanted – no, _had –_ to look outside… She needed to see what the world was like without darkness. She wasn't disappointed.

Green. So beautifully green. The trees, grass and pants were such vibrant shades of green it was momentarily blinding. She watched as birds flew around freely and without a care. If Sora focused hard enough, she could hear the flapping of their wings as they went. The sound of laughter and idle conversation hit her eardrums next.

Talk of exams, chocolate and crushes.

It all seemed so normal. So... amazing.

 _So this is what the world looks like?_

 _Sora could remember things like math, language and irrelevant facts like dancing. The things that were unclear were about_ _herself._

 _Her history to be more precise. Did she have a family? A mother, father and siblings? Did they ever have pets? Maybe a goldfish? Those girls out there probably owned goldfish. What she was trying to get at was he knew her own name – thanks to Kaname – but she didn't know much else._

 _Anything Sora knew about herself up to that point, she'd much rather forget-_ _toodarktoodarktoodark._

 _Cold tables and sharp objects._

 _"So… what am I supposed to do?" Sora whispered. She wasn't use to using her voice to its full capacity. It was a foreign concept. Taboo, even._

 _The sound of Kaname shifting in his seat made her turn her head slightly. In her need to look outside she had forgotten not to turn her back to a stranger._

 _"You'll stay here in the Night Class with other vampires like yourself."_

 _She wished it was that simple._

 _What if_ _they_ _came back for her? What if the others of her kind didn't like her? What if she couldn't control herself? What if, what if, what if. There were too many to count._

 _Sora crossed her arms over her chest, noting to herself she must have been at least close to womanhood, considering their plumpness. "And if I don't_ _want_ _to?"_

 _Kaname's lips tilted upwards in what was probably meant to be a disarming and reassuring smile. His next statement ruined it. "You have no choice."_

 _The tall vampire crossed the room with the grace of a predator—did she walk that way?—and put a large hand on Sora's shoulder. She only flinched slightly._

 _"No one really knows what to do with you at this point. It's a miracle we found you in the first place..."_

 _Inside, Sora was fuming. She didn't miss Kaname's annoyed looks or the way his eyebrows twitched._

 _So she was supposed to be compliant and go along with anything he said just because some mysterious_ _we_ _"saved" her?_

 _Bullshit._

 _To her it was no different than going from one cage to another. This one was just more comfortable._

 _Then again… What other choice did she really have? Sure, she could leave, but where would she go? As far as Sora could tell, she didn't truly have anyone. Always alone in the world. She'd just have to deal with this day by day. Just like in the dark._

 _...For_ _now._


	3. Chapter 3: Hidden Places

( **edited for the random bold sentences. Sorry about that!)**

Kaname had left long ago. Though Sora hadn't believed most of what Kaname had said, she went along with it and had followed him to the bathroom regardless once he said something about a bath.

She may had been living in her own filth before, but it wasn't by choice. His departing words to the snowy haired girl were something about not harming anyone in or outside of the house, but she wasn't really paying attention. She was too caught up in all of the new sounds and feelings around her.

To someone who hadn't been able to hear much through the thick metal walls of her prison, it was all maddening. Sure, with her impeccable hearing—sorry, _vampiric_ hearing—Sora could hear the cameras in her cell. The sounds of them zooming in and out, moving or just being; but it wasn't as loud as what she was going through now.

It was overwhelming.

Water drip-dropped from the shower faucet in steady rhythmic intervals. Florescent lights above flickered and hummed in a way only electrical currents could– but with a deep sigh she realized there were no cameras. In short, it was a sensory overload. Not one she couldn't deal with, though. She had been subjected to worse torture across her senses.

She noted with bitterness that she was small compared to everything around her. After a sweeping glance around she had found a pile of clothes and washcloth set out for her. Or at least she thought. Her feet scuffled over the cool white tiled floor towards the shower, discarding the thin nightgown and panties she had been put in upon arriving. Once inside of the ceramic space, Sora froze.

She had no clue how to work any of this… Maybe she should have asked Kaname before he had left. _Then again he walked away almost as soon as I had stepped foot in here_ , she thought.

With a shrug Sora turned one of the two knobs until it wouldn't turn anymore. If she broke it, she'd blame Kaname for not teaching her. Sora's head shot up when water sprayed from above her head and directly into her eyes. She screeched. Why was it so cold!?

In her passionate need to escape the frigid water falling onto her, Sora herself slipped and fell with a loud _thunk._ It was in the moments of flopping around like a fish that Sora came to a realization: life was definitely against her.

After slipping 3 more times she didn't even try to get up or attempt to change the temperature. She was fully resigned with her fate, glaring at the heavy wooden door that had – literally – brought her into this mess.

A knock sounded on the betraying slab of wood along with a muffled, "Is everything okay in there?" Before Sora could answer, it opened. A mousy head of brown hair poked through the opening.

"I think your shower is malfunctioning." Sora stated blandly to the girl, staring into her large brown eyes. Something in the air smelt delicious. Possibly the dinner Kaname had talked about?

The girl, with a slight blush on her face, entered the room, shutting the door behind her securely.

It had been so long since Sora had seen another female. All of the white coats that held her captive had been male. Was she some sort of maid?

"Ahh! You fell? Are you okay?" the brunette all but shouted in a high-pitched voice, arms flailing around. She quickly ran over to where Sora was sprawled out in the tub and helped her to stand... Back into the coldness of the water.

Sora sneezed.

"Here, let me make the water warmer for you. This knob – the one you have fully turned – is the cold water. This one next to it is the hot water. To make warm, you turn them to the middle. I myself like a nice hot shower..."

Steam soon filled the air, and the beads of water that were once like frozen daggers became soothing. It was slightly uncomfortable for her to draw air into her lungs but it wasn't an unwanted feeling. Ever since she had woken up strapped to that bed, breathing had felt that way: as if she wasn't able to. The feeling of being suffocated was never-ending. Yet, being in a rather clean bathroom with another female was comforting in ways she had never imagined.

Speaking of female, Sora had almost forgotten about her savior. "Thank you… um…"

The brunette came to attention and smiled bashfully, "Oh yeah, my name is Yuki. This is kind of my home, in a way." she introduced herself.

Sora smiled gratefully. So she _was_ a maid. "My name is Sora. Thank you for saving me, Yuki. That Kaname guy didn't stay long enough to teach me what to do..."

Yuki brought a finger to her cheek in what Sora considered a thoughtful manor. "Yeah, he did seem to be in a hurry. In any case, you should really be taking a shower. Dinner will be finished shortly." With that, and a few tips on what soaps to use, Yuki left Sora to her bath.

.

.

.

"Come on..."

She still somehow felt dirty. Maybe it rooted from her imagination. Sure, Sora _knew_ on some level that her body was clean—she had scrubbed it until her skin became pink and raw—but part of her still felt contaminated. As if her psyche itself was grubby.

Sadly, there wasn't any way for her to take her brain out of her skull to scrub it with the sickly sweet scented hair soaps Yuki had recommended. Whatever a cherry blossom was, she wanted no part in it after today.

The water cascading down quickly became frigid like before, but it didn't matter anymore. Now that she was by herself and given time to think, her mind had drifted off to unwanted places. Part of her wanted to let the ice in her chest consume her. That way she wouldn't have to feel so much confusion.

With an exasperated huff of air, Sora turned the knobs so the water stopped and stepped out of the bath. She should be thankful to have a mind clear enough to actually hold onto thoughts. Yet there she was, wishing to not feel anything. It would seem she was a selfish person.

The slowly ticking clock caught her attention. Dinner was supposed to start soon. Sora wrapped herself in a large white fluffy towel that was hanging up. It was warm and soft.

Once her body was nice and dry she tucked her hair into the towel, wearing it as a hood. How the hell else was she supposed to keep her wet hair away from clothes? Her hair cascaded past her butt for crying-out-loud

The clothes that had been left were okay enough. They consisted of a baby blue tank top that was probably a bit too snug, and a mid-thigh flowing white skirt. She glared towards the knee-high socks with disgust. Those were out of the question. They just didn't feel right – anything that covered her feet were uncomfortable. Who would want to wear something that had no traction? What if she went to walk around a corner and fell?

Well, she'd probably be able to catch herself… But that wasn't the point.

Stepping out of the bathroom and looking from left to right, Sora wondered which way she should go. She'd never been in a house before, or at least she thought. It was quite… homey? Whatever that entailed.

After a moment, she sniffed the air and followed the scent that came into the bathroom when Yuki had entered. That should lead her to the dinner thing, right? She shrugged. Even if it wasn't the right room, what harm would it do? She'd just walk into the wrong door. No big deal.

She came to an opening with no door and poked her head around the corner. Inside, stood a nice sized table with 4 chairs on each side of it, and another one at the end. The walls were the same crème color as the rest of the house, but with brown boarding at the bottom. Light burgundy colored curtains covered a single window and finished off the room.

Occupying said large table were 3 people. They must have heard her or something because they all turned at once in her direction. All eyes were on her – well they were on me until a handsome young man avoided looking anywhere near her.

The 2 that were still looking at me were smiling warmly. A tall man— She swore everyone she had met so far was a giant—with long straw colored hair pulled back into a pony tail with a red ribbon. Bangs framing his hazel glass clad eyes that were alert and inquiring. He was wearing a... _pink_ … Apron?

 _How strange…_

Next to him, sat the girl that had saved her earlier. Now that Sora had ample amount of time to inspect her, she noted the girl looked like she could pass to be 10. Her short dark brown hair framed big innocent red-brown eyes that looked so full of hope, Sora felt slightly nauseous.

Smiling back at the 2 in front of her while lifting up a hand in a wave, Sora went to introduce herself. "Hello, my name is-"

She was cut off when the tall man in pink ran towards her with his arms flailing, screaming about how 'cute' she was. Sora's eyes widened when he effortlessly picked her right up the floor and into his arms. He began to twirl her around while yelling his hellos.

"Hello Sora! My name is Kaien Cross, I'm the Headmaster here—but you can call me _daddy_!" Yuki, ever the savior, grabbed onto the Headmaster and tore him off of Sora and chided him about personal space. The room had become unsteady and the floor seemed to teeter back and forth. The sudden burst of human contact left her shaken and terrified, yet no one seemed to notice.

"Oh Sora, these are my two _wonderful_ children: Yuki and Zero. They will be showing you around and helping you get situated! If you need anything and I'm busy, just find one of them!" Once he finished his introduction, the 'Zero' fellow was the next to speak up.

"I'm not your son, Old Man! Quit telling people that!" he shouted.

"Oh Zero! Why do you hate your daddy!?" Kaien cried. It made quite a scene.

Zero looked ready to get up and punch Headmaster Cross in the face but was stopped by Yuki. "Zero! Don't hit the Headmas- I mean _father,_ in front of our guest! Please, just calm down!" She begged.

Then like a woman on a mission faced me, flashing a bright white smile my way. "Hello, Sora. Nice to see you again. Sorry about these two, they kind of always do this..." She said, nervously rubbing the back of her head.

Sora's head swam with information – or maybe she was still dizzy? None the less, she quickly collected her thoughts and emotions and returned Yuki's smile with one of her own. "It's okay… I'm just not that use to contact…"

Zero sent Sora a seething scowl at her words while Yuki and Cross looked to her in pity. That made her mad. What use was there to pity someone else? It wouldn't stop her past from haunting her.

Taking the seat across from Zero, who was the only one seated, she flinched violently when he slammed his hands on the table and began shouting. "I'm not going to sit here and eat dinner with Pureblood _scum_."

She looked to him with wide confused eyes, "What's a "Pureblood"?" She asked shakily. Whatever it was, Zero seemed to think it was the worst thing ever. Did that mean it was bad?

Instead of an answer, Sora was met with another angry gaze before the silverette stormed out of the room. She turned to the others, hurt and confusion coursing through her veins. Both were looking at the floor as if in deep thought. She decided to just wait and let them think.

Soon, the Headmaster sat down followed by a concerned looking Yuki. He apologized for Zero's actions, saying something about the boy having some sort of issues with vampires. Yuki stood up, saying something about getting the food before shuffling out of the door. Sora was sure she wasn't going to come back any time soon.

The headmaster smiled toward her with what seemed like sad understanding before he explained, "Vampires are separated by different classes, to put it simply. Think of it as a pyramid: At the bottom you have D-Class vampires; who were once humans, turned vampires. Next you have C-Class vampires – they are the most common being your average type of vampire – then would be the B-Class, also known as Nobles or Aristocrats; each have a single power that makes them stronger than the C-Class.

Lastly at the top would be A-Class, which is where you fall into. They are the Purebloods. They have the most pure vampire blood of all the classes, and contain power that no one except they can really understand. They are treated like royalty by the other classes, seeming as there are so few still alive. You, Kaname and Shou are Purebloods." He paused for a second before asking "Do you understand now?"

"…I think so…" Her brain was going in circles. _So that's what a Pureblood is—_ _What_ _she was?_ _Just a stronger breed of vampire?_ Headmaster cross was still smiling. "Um…Kaien?"

"Yes?" His voice is soft as if he wasn't trying to scare her.

"Am..." This was so silly. She shouldn't have to ask him this. "Am I a monster?" Heat covered her face all the way up to the tips of her ears, coloring her pale skin a dark pink.

So she didn't have to look Kaien in the eyes, Sora continued to stare at her hands.

He let out a long sad sounding sigh and leaning forward in his seat to take her chin between his fingers so she would look at him.

"Do you think you are?" He questioned, eyes searching hers for an answer she didn't have. Her reply was simply a lift of the shoulders. "Whether you are a monster or not is up to you. No one can force you to be something—there is always a choice."

Kaien's voice was soothing and fatherly, enough to put a reluctant smile on her face. Since she had woken up, Sora had been met with nothing but kindness—if you didn't consider Zero and his issues. It was different to what she was used to, but she found that the warmth she felt in her chest, along with the warmth of Kaien's hands, felt _good_.

Still. Even though his words made her heart feel a little lighter, she couldn't find it in herself to fully believe him.

Something – something dark – was deep inside of her. She could feel it. Taste it, even. It was as if it were mocking Kaien's words. Cackling about how wrong his words were. Just telling her to wait. Whispering to her that it would prove the man wrong; she just had to be patient.

Wait until it showed her what they _really_ were.

After their little conversation, Yuki finally came back with the food. Though it looked weird – and didn't taste that good – Sora forced herself to eat every last bit of what she was offered. With how nice they were treating her, she didn't want to come off as rude or ungrateful.

A few times during dinner Kaien, of course, was fawning over Sora and Yuki in some sort of way. He seemed to fit the fatherly place very well, but it was hard for her to see him as Yuki's dad. Obviously the man wasn't Zero's. And Yuki just didn't really look like she could be his daughter. She could totally pass as Kaname's daughter, though...

Ehh who knew. It was better not to think about it too hard.

Kaien eagerly answered any and all of Sora's questions. He laughed good-naturedly when she had asked what exactly a Headmaster was, then what a school was and finally its relation to being an academy.

Later, Yuki – and surprisingly a grumpy Zero – and Sora were standing at a sink doing the dishes. Sora had the distinct feeling that the male was only there to make sure she didn't hurt the human girl. While it bugged her he didn't trust her, it was reasonable. She was a stranger to them, after all.

Yuki washed the dishes while Sora dried them, and Zero glared from across the room. It was a happy family moment, really.

"So, Sora, how old are you?" Yuki's high pitched voice questioned, breaking the silence.

Sora stopped to think about it for a moment. "I'm not really sure... I'd guess between 16 and 18 human years." she shrugged, "Kaname only told me my name, that I'm a vampire... Oh, and not to harm humans." The last part was said more as an afterthought.

"Oh! Kaname told you?" she asked happily. In the background Sora heard Zero scoff.

"Um... Yes? He was sitting by my bed when I first woke up."

"Wow that sounds nice. N- Not waking up to Kaname! Just that he was sitting by your bed. Not that I'd want him to sit by my bed while I slept-!"

Obviously someone had a _major_ crush on the resident pureblood vampire. Sora found herself chuckling, if only a little. "Hey!" Yuki yelled, a blush spreading over her face while she flicked bubbles toward the vampire next to her, "It's not funny!"

Crossing her eyes, Sora could see soapy suds stuck on the tip of her nose. She stuck her lip out and pouted, "Very mature, Yuki. _Veeery_ mature." She then dipped her hand in the bubbles and flung some back, giggling when the suds landed between Yuki's eyes.

After playing for a while, a grumpy Zero scolded them to get back to cleaning the dishes so he could leave. Once back into the dish washing groove, Yuki started up conversation again.

"I actually overheard the Headmaster and Kaname talking about how Shou found you in some sort of lab. Is that true?"

Sora paused in her drying, eyebrows drawing together in thought "I..." Her chest began to hurt, like someone was tightly squeezing it from the inside. She shivered. It became harder to breathe and think. "I don't wish to talk about it."

"I'm sorry… It must have been scary being locked up in a place like that…" Yuki went on, ignorant of how it was affecting Sora.

Her head was beginning to hurt, and the light above them seemed to glow lighter. A crash and voices reached her ears, yet it sounded so far away. The pounding in her chest was beginning to hurt from how fast her heart was beating. Sora stumbled back on uneven feet, hands rising to cover her face.

"Yuki, stop-"

 _What's happening? Why can't I breathe right?—_

 _—The beeping of medical equipment was deafening. Nothing could be seen behind the thick blind fold over her eyes. The slow ache in her abdomen wasn't disappearing fast enough – nothing was._ When will they be done? When will all of this be done?

 _The table she was restrained to couldn't have been any colder even if it were made out of ice. Yet, sweating trickled down her body like rain. Shivering. Numb for a few more moments._

 _"Ready for experiment 2 on subject PB-118." A bored, monotonous voice sounded to her left the same moment pain erupted in her abdomen._

 _A strangled cry attempted to make its way out of her mouth, but the sound was muffled by the gag that was set between her clenched teeth._

 _"The test subject shows impeccable ability to heal itself. I would like to take more samples of the skin before we finish this operation. Administer more sedatives. Scalpel."_

 _Her body fought viciously against the restraints with no results. Then, a beautiful fog clouded her mind._

 _Nothing these people said ever made sense. Nothing._ Why won't they let me go? _She asked herself helplessly,_ when will they be done? Why won't they just kill me and get this over with? Why does my body keep restoring itself, over and over again, just to keep me in this elongated torture? _So many questions, but never any answers._

 _Her mind was the only place she could ever escape to, but even there; the screams of her thoughts were deafening._

 _WHY WON'T THEY JUST LET ME DIE?_ JUST LET ME DIE _-_

—Gasping, her mind came crashing back into itself for the second time that day. Something was wrapped around her. Was someone grabbing her? Were _They_ there, ready to take her back?

Sora screamed, fighting off whatever was holding her down—Ignoring the frantic voices around her.

"Stop..!"

"-quit-...-calm-..!"

She thrashed against whatever was holding her down to the ground. The only sounds around her were her own screams; she couldn't see anything. She just knew she had to get away. No way was she going back to that place. She wouldn't let them-

"Sora," A calm voice spoke near her ear. Feather-light touches spread over her face before it was cupped between what felt like large hands. "You're okay. I'm here now. You need to calm down... _open your eyes_."

Doing as the soothing voice said, her eyes shot open. When had she closed them?

Her hands shot up to the touch on her face—they _were_ hands—and grasped them. Soon she was crawling her way to where the hands originated from, pathetic cries coming out of her throat. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks. She sounded like a drowned cat, but no part of her cared. The only escape from her hellish thoughts was the safety that this person made her feel.

Their presence was so calming, it was like sitting in a giant cup of herbal tea. _How do I know what herbal tea is?_

Sora's eyes slowly went up to find an emerald green that reflected her own. Though his were filled with worry, while hers held only terror.

Without another word, Sora threw herself into the strangers comforting embrace, shaking like a leaf. His presence was like a bright golden sun after a year's rain. She decided then and there she never wanted to leave him. Even though it would be like using a crutch with perfectly fine legs.

Legs that weren't able to hold herself above water to keep from drowning.


End file.
